Switcheroo (Gideon Oliver, book 18) - Aaron Elkins Audiobook

Written by Aaron Elkins
Read by Jeff Cummings
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Series: Gideon Oliver Mysteries Series, Book 18
Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
Release date: 02-16-16
Publisher: Brilliance Audio

The Skeleton Detective is back.

A cold case dating from the 1960s draws forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver to the Channel Islands decades later to shine a light on the mysterious connection between two men who died there on the same night.

Swapped as young boys by their fathers during the Nazi occupation, wealthy Roddy Carlisle and middle-class George Skinner had some readjusting to do after the war ended - but their lives remained linked through work, trouble with the law, and finally, it would seem, through murder.

Nobody expects that Gideon’s modern-day investigation will turn up fresh bodies. But old bones tell many tales, and the Skeleton Detective has to be at his sharpest to piece together the truth before the body count mounts still higher.

A review…Before Jefferson Bass and Kathy Reichs made their marks, Aaron Elkins had the monopoly on good forensic anthropology mysteries. His stories utilise a loose set of characters, some of whom reappear, but others who make their presence known in a single mystery. While they are well-crafted and succinct, they do not probe as deeply into the case as other authors of the same genre. I have also found that readers of Elkins’ works, particularly the Gideon Oliver novels, must suspend chronology in order to fit the stories together. I know I have made this complaint when I read the series consecutively, in the past, but when Elkins seeks to use dates to place the characters in a certain time-frame, one cannot ignore the placement of chronology listed in some of the early novels, making Gideon an impossible forty-two, or his well-developed backstory possible. Still, the story is light and seems to flow effectively, perfect for a short read on holiday or over a rainy/snowy weekend.

Another…Aaron Elkins does a superb job in making forensic anthropology understandable for the lay reader. The science is fascinating, and bones do not have the same “ick” factor that fresh bodies do. Gideon and Julia have a wonderful, mutually supportive relationship that is a joy to observe. I also liked DCI Clapper, who may not be the most politic in his wording, but who appreciates good sense and dedication regardless of sex, background, or color.

This not my rip. We owe our thanks to another member.